Talk with girlfriend changed my mind

A CONVERSATION with his girlfriend convinced Will Genia to knock back the biggest provincial deal in Australian rugby history.

Last Thursday the Reds halfback had agreed to join the Western Force for $600,000 a season, more than any player has been offered without an ARU top-up.

But on Saturday his heart changed after a chat with partner Vanessa Perren at their Brisbane home.

"You want one moment ... it was sitting down with my girlfriend," Genia revealed.

"I told her how good the win was (against the Blues last Friday night) and I asked a question: 'Am I really going to have that sense of satisfaction and pride in such a good win playing for someone else?'

With that feeling in his guts, and the devastated reaction of teammates Digby Ioane and James Horwill - who he told on Friday night he was leaving - Genia made one of the biggest backflips the game has seen.

"I've worked too hard here and worked too long with players and the organisation to make it a much better place than it was," said Genia, who will remain a Wallaby through to the 2015 World Cup once he signs his ARU top-up contract.

But the Force are furious at the Reds over their leaking of Genia's presumed defection on Saturday night, which they believe ultimately resulted in his U-turn to remain in Queensland for $200,000 less per year. Genia had told Force chief executive Vern Reid that he would sign the contract when he returned from Auckland.

After that match in Auckland, Genia told Reds coach Ewen McKenzie that he was headed to Perth.

But before he had a chance to sign an official contract, QRU chief executive Jim Carmichael orchestrated a clever tactical ploy that kept the world's best halfback in Brisbane.

News of Genia's defection broke, and the QRU released a statement confirming that Genia would be joining the Force.

A fuming Reid is convinced that statement - which led to an uproar in Queensland and resulted in Genia's teammates bombarding him with phone calls - ruined the deal.

"It was a really unusual thing to do, to release information like that, when I'm sure they were aware that nothing had been signed," Reid said.

"The net result appears that it may well have been a successful ploy.

"We would have liked him to have made the decision that he said he had made and join us in Perth.

"Clearly when it came down to signing, something turned his head."

That something was Carmichael, who was savvy enough to text Genia the next day and the backflip became concrete by late Sunday night.

Genia conceded that the reactions of Ioane and Horwill played a role, as did the experience of singing the Reds' team song in the Eden Park sheds after Queensland's first victory at the venue.

"Digby was devastated. He looked at me like a brother was leaving when I told him," Genia said.

"James and I had a general chit-chat about a potential move earlier last week and he was sort of lost for words when I did tell him. He didn't want me to go.

"Singing the team song in the changeroom afterwards and thinking I would not have the opportunity next year was a scary thought."

Genia had originally been convinced to join the Force by their skipper David Pocock, who is also off contract and being pursued by the Brumbies. Pocock's retention is now in serious doubt after the failure to lure Genia.

"David obviously did a lot of work in recruiting Will," Reid said.

"He wants to put this speculation on his future aside and wants to make sure the team performs at its heights.

"That's the position from David and, obviously, we'll keep working with him and see if we can secure his future as soon as possible."